हमारी पहली रसोई
Shaadi ke baad — pehla din naye ghar mein. Chhota sa 2BHK. Rent — 18,000. Furniture — second-hand. Kitchen — ek gas stove, do bartan, aur ek kadhai. "Kya banayein?" Prerna ne pucha. "Kuch bhi. Kuch bhi jo tujhe aata ho," maine kaha. "Mujhe sirf Maggi aati hai." "Mujhe bhi." Dono ne ek dusre ko dekha. Phir hanse. Pehla dinner — Maggi. Do plates. Kitchen ke zameen par baith ke khayi — dining table abhi aaya nahi tha. "Yeh humare ghar ka pehla khaana hai," Prerna ne kaha. "Historic moment." "Maggi se history banti hai?" "Hamari banti hai." --- Pehla hafte — YouTube se cooking seekhi. "Dal kaise banayein — beginners." Video 10 minute ka, humein 2 ghante lage. "Pressure cooker mein paani kitna daalna hai?" maine pucha. "Video mein bola — 2 cups." "Yeh 2 cups ya 2 glasses?" "Same cheez hai." Same cheez nahi thi. Dal paani ban gayi. Humne usse "soup" bol ke pee li. Innovation. --- Pehla mahina — progress. Roti gol nahi banti thi par khaane layak thi. Sabzi mein namak zyada hota tha. Chawal chipak jaate the. Par — har meal saath mein banaate the. Main sabzi kaatata, woh masala daalti. Main roti belata (triangle shape), woh sekte. Music lagaate — Kishore Kumar — aur kitchen mein dance karte karte khana banaate. "Tu roti belne mein itna bura kyun hai?" usne pucha, meri triangle roti dekhke. "Geometry weak thi." "Toh main shape dungi, tu gas pe rakh." Team work. --- Chhah mahine baad — Prerna ki daal famous ho gayi. Padosi — Sharma aunty — ne recipe puuchi. "Recipe kya hai?" Prerna ne mujhe dekha. "Pyaar, thoda namak, aur YouTube." "Aur patience," maine add kiya. "Bahut saara patience." --- Aaj — 3 saal ho gaye. Kitchen ab fully equipped hai. Spice rack, mixer, OTG, air fryer. Roti ab gol banti hai — mostly. Par kabhi kabhi — deliberately — Maggi banaate hain. Zameen par baith ke khaate hain. Woh pehle din ko yaad karte hain. Kyunki pehli rasoi — woh ghar nahi banaati. Ghar toh dono milke banaate hain. Ek triangle roti aur ek gol roti — saath mein.